


Memories Bring Back You

by princesa99



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Crying, Implied Relationships, M/M, Timeline What Timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:55:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28572615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princesa99/pseuds/princesa99
Summary: After Sabo inherited the Mera-Mera no Mi, he started to see Ace in his dream. The dreams were bizarre but after investigating, it turns out the dreams he had about Ace weren't just a dream. It was Ace's memories.
Relationships: Portgas D. Ace/Sabo
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	Memories Bring Back You

Ever since he inherited the Mera-Mera, Sabo had been having a dream about its former owner. A man who he loves and cherishes as much as he loves and treasures Luffy. The first time Ace appeared in his dream, he woke up with tears streaming down his face as he recalled every detail about the dream.

Which was really weird because no matter how good his memory is, he never managed to recall every single detail of his dream before. And he doesn’t even have a photographic memory no matter how much he wished for it since it would be a handy ability in his line of work.

So after the fifth time it happened, he came to conclusion that his dream about Ace wasn’t a simple dream. It was Ace’s memories. As much as it was a ridiculous conclusion, it’s the only explanation he could think of. Besides, the first dream he had of Ace wasn’t the mature, adult Ace in his bounty poster but rather it was a younger Ace or a 17-year-old Ace to be exact. Sabo’s a genius, yeah but he isn’t a seer. He never saw 17-year-old Ace and only know that Ace was a Devil fruit user after his death so how could he conjure a scene of 17-year-old Ace who was stuck in an island together with someone name Deuce and then accidentally ate the Mera-Mera because he was hungry?

So, yeah. It must be Ace’s memories.

Sabo concluded that but he himself couldn’t quite believe it so he sailed to a nearby town to look for a library since the Revolutionary library didn’t have the answer he was looking for. And he found it after scouring the library for an entire three days.

It was a rare case since there were only two records about it. As Sabo sailed back to Kamabakka, he got a mix of feelings about it.

He felt happy of course because he could see Ace’s journey as he slowly becomes a successful pirate but at the same time he’s devastated because it reminded him again and again that Ace’s dead. Ace has passed away. And he wasn’t there. He wasn’t there when Ace was captured and he wasn’t there when Luffy rescued him from prison and he wasn’t there to protect him when lava fist pierced through his body and burned him inside out. Every time he woke up from watching Ace through his dream, he was happy but the longing, the regret, the devastation intensified into something greater.

Sabo once planned to not sleeping at all by doing all his paper works to avoid seeing Ace in his sleep but he couldn’t. He didn’t have the strength to stay away from the fiery raven even though it was just seeing him in his sleep. Even though it’s hurt so much seeing Ace’s memories almost every night, he would bear it again and again as long as he gets to see the freckled man. It satisfied his longing to see him bravely facing the world who condemned him for being the heir of the late pirate king and his regret for not remember and not being there during the war also intensified.

Sabo didn’t tell Luffy about this though. It’s the only part of Ace that is his. Partly, because he doesn’t have time to explain. Mostly because he was jealous. It’s shameful but it’s the truth. He loves Luffy. Treasures him. Cherishes him even. But an ugly part of him was jealous because he got to see and grow up with Ace. Luffy was there with Ace almost every moment until his death. Sabo knew he was being irrational but he couldn’t help it. Ace was his first friend, his first best friend. Of course he’s jealous. He hated himself because he’s unable to keep his promise to Ace. Besides, Luffy already had his own fair share of memories of Ace. This piece of Ace, he wanted it to be his and his alone.

Sabo and the Revolutionaries planned for their upcoming siege to the World Government in the morning and at night, he watched Ace’s memories like the film Koala always dragged him to watch.

He saw how Ace formed his crew. He saw how he went into the mountains just to see Shanks and thanked him for taking care of Luffy. He saw how he recklessly and stupidly challenged the Whitebeards. He saw how Ace and his crew were taken by the Yonko as hostage before he slowly warmed up to them and eventually took the old man’s jolly roger. He saw how Ace went to a tattoo parlor and asked the artist to tattoo his new mark. He woke up with tears when he saw Ace designed the ASCE tattoo on his bicep with the ‘S’ crossed out as a tribute to a precious person whom Ace thought was dead. He didn’t stop crying in his tent as he recalled Ace’s fond smile as he talked about him animatedly to the tattoo artist. He saw how Ace was cherished and protected by the Whitebeards and Sabo was glad for that.

The memories weren’t complete. There was a gap here and there but he could see that Ace lived his life to the fullest. His favourite part of Ace’s memories was when Ace was reunited with Luffy at Alabasta. He cried when he saw that scene. Ace was loving and caring to Luffy. Ace really did listen to his request in his letter before everything fucked up.

The worst memory? It wasn’t when Ace fought Blackbeard. It also wasn’t his capture and imprisonment. It was the event that led to Ace’s death. Sabo remembered waking up screaming for Ace to move, to turn around as he saw the magma fist aiming to Ace and pierced through his chest. He remembered crying and shouting himself hoarse as he saw by his own eyes Ace’s life slowly flickering like a candle until the light fade away from his eyes and how Luffy broke down completely, wailing loudly. He only woke up when Koala splashed him with water. Apparently, he didn’t realize the Mera-Mera was activated in his sleep and he completely burned everything that was near him except for himself. Koala reached out to him but he pushed her away as he breathed harshly before he stands up and briskly walked away from the commotion.

The memory of Ace’s last moment kept replaying in his head like a broken record. Ace’s last word made him cry. Even almost dying, Ace that idiot still believed that he wasn’t worthy of love. Even on his last breath, he still thanked people for loving him. It made Sabo sobbed silently as Ace’s last word kept repeating in his head.

‘Thank you for loving me.’

Ace died thinking that he didn’t deserve to live because of the blood running in his veins. And Sabo wanted to scream.

He wanted to say many things to Ace. That Ace is worthy of every single person’s love to him. That he deserved to live. That his blood, his heritage aren’t important as long as he lives happily. That he doesn’t need to thank everyone for loving him because for Sabo, loving, caring, cherishing and treasuring Ace is the easiest thing for him to do. Luffy, Makino, Gramps, Dadan, the Spades and the rest of the Whitebeards think the same too.

But he didn’t get to say it. Because he was too late. Because he wasn’t there. Because he forgot. Because he thought there was nothing important for him to remember.  
Sabo wanted to blame everyone. The world for condemning and didn’t even give the child a chance because he’s the son of the Pirate King but still wanted his father’s treasure. Blackbeard for so fucking greedy. The World Government for lying to people about the reality of Gold Roger when in fact they are the cruellest people in this world. They are the one who was supposed to die instead of Ace. And he himself for thinking that there was nothing for him in East Blue. For easily dismissing his gut feeling that he knew Ace when news spread that Ace rejected an offer to become a Warlord.

But there was nothing Sabo could do. He was too late and Ace died. The only thing of Ace he have are his power and his memories. Even so, no matter how much the memories keep reminding him of his regret and failure, he won’t replace it with anything else. Sabo’s not going to let go of Ace ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm crying while writing this T_T
> 
> I am sorry for all the mistakes. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Leave kudos or comments, thank you.


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